An out-of-bounds snowboarder died Friday near Purgatory Resort after dropping off a cliff and suffering injuries, according to the ski resort.
Purgatory Ski Patrol was notified of the incident at 1:31 p.m. Friday, after receiving a report from 911 dispatchers, said General Manager Dave Rathbun, in a statement emailed Sunday to The Durango Herald.
The snowboarder was located in an out-of-bounds area southeast of the Pinkerton Toll Road ski trail below Forest Service Road 578, the release said. It appears to be in a backcountry area between the front side and the backside of the resort.
It was not immediately clear if the snowboarder had gained entry to the backcountry via Purgatory Resort.
Ski patrol was on scene by 1:48 p.m. and found a male snowboarder in his mid-40s who had dropped off a cliff and suffered injuries, according to the resort. No further information was given about the nature of the man’s injuries.
Ski patrol attempted to revive the snowboarder but he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Purgatory Resort. The man was wearing a helmet at the time of the fall.
“Every member of the Purgatory Resort community sends its deepest, heartfelt condolences to all those family members and friends impacted by this tragic event,” Rathbun said in the statement.
Purgatory Resort did not release the name of the snowboarder. La Plata County Coroner Jann Smith said Sunday she had not yet received details about the individual.
The La Plata County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for information Sunday.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
